


An Ordinary Fellow

by athousandwinds



Category: Maurice - Forster
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-01
Updated: 2010-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-09 06:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/83848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athousandwinds/pseuds/athousandwinds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clive, and politics, and things it would be politic to forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Ordinary Fellow

Life as a Member of Parliament was of a tedium not yet known to the common man, Clive realised one day when he stepping off the train. He felt quite proud to be privy to this fact. Anne, who could be rather a dear sometimes, believed him to be at the hub of government. On such deceptions were marriages founded.

Bonar Law was a pretty poor fish, in Clive's opinion, but one's leader was one's leader. Asquith was weakening; the recent losses – Clive's thoughts meandered down the path of politics without much enthusiasm. The country needed the good, firm hand of the Conservatives, for this wretched coalition government did no one any good; but Clive did not care overmuch to be a Cabinet minister, though he would feel the utmost disapproval were he not invited to take up the post.

It was almost Whitsun, good God. Clive dwelt with some satisfaction on the prospect of the races – a fellow had to have some pleasures in life – and with somewhat less appreciation on the likelihood of a long sermon. Once upon a time, in his youth, Clive had longed with a desperate, fearful anxiety for the exaltation of the Holy Spirit, to understand that the plagues visited upon him had some purpose after all. Older and wiser, he realised that religious ecstasy was best left to those such as Mr Borenius, who had been trained in the expectation of it. Ordinary laymen had such little control as a general rule, it would most certainly be rather embarrassing.

He heard the loud slap and thud of regulation boots behind him and strolled over to the side of the road as one of the regiments marched past. Clive bared his head; it was the least he could do. When he saw soldiers in khaki, he couldn't help but think briefly of Maurice and look for his face among the bland uniformity of the men. But he could not imagine Maurice in France; the thought was ludicrous. Maurice had resented his French master at school and as for the hours it had taken Clive to persuade him even to contemplate Greece, he would never have set foot outside England voluntarily.

He could imagine Scudder, though; earthy and common, hiding in among the ranks. The snake at their breast. Scudder's features had blurred out of memory by now, if they had ever been inscribed. Clive substituted any handsome boy for him. It hardly mattered; Maurice could not have stayed with Scudder. There was no satisfaction to be found in the physical between men. Love existed on a higher plane than that.

Thoughts of Love became thoughts of Anne and from there to Penge. There had been no heir as yet, and Clive could not express his annoyance. A lesser man might have reproached his wife; Clive was patient. Anne cared as much for Penge as he did; it would be obscene to suggest that she had failed the old place in some way.

The regiment passed and Clive replaced his hat with some relief. Going bare-headed in January, indeed. He stepped quickly along to Whitehall, where the nation's men were assembling.

* * *

Herbert Asquith was the Liberal Prime Minister 1908-1916. In 1915, he formed a coalition government (which included Andrew Bonar Law as Colonial Secretary, despite Bonar Law being head of the Opposition). After heavy losses at Gallipoli and the Somme, not to mention the Irish Easter Rising, he was forced to resign in December 1916. This story takes place in January of that year.

Andrew Bonar Law was leader of the Conservative Party from 1911-1921. After some political argy-bargying, he became Prime Minister in 1922. He lasted barely six months, dying in May of the following year. Clive was not asked to form any part of his government.


End file.
